Progress is happening!

Hello!!  I have been sewing.... above is my start of a purple quilt for my DIL.  I was going with blue...but discovered that she selects everything purple...about face to purple!!  I am loving this beginning!

This little quilt top was given to me at the quilt guild.  I bordered it, and pin basted it for hand quilting.  Baptist fans, anyone??

I did make a few more blocks on what I call my modern quilt.  These blocks are so fast...I need to put the pedal to the metal and get this one done already.

This month is for orange, at Angela's blog.  I looked in my orange scrappy bucket and cut some pieces.  This little orange quilt will get a fun children's fabric border and there you go!!  ORANGE!!

I enjoyed making a few purple blocks.  

 I am also helping Lucky, my kitty with this quilt.  He does not necessarily take my recommendations.  hmmmm.

Have a beautiful day, each of you!!

***********************Nurse's notes****************************

I am ICU full time now.  I do some education, precepting and patient care.  I love the intellectual stimulation from the kids who work there.  What sweethearts they are!!  SMART folks, too.  I think I am the oldest floor nurse there, or maybe second to oldest.  It feels good to help start lines, NG's, resuscitations....to be the subject matter expert at times.  

I wish I could make a bigger impact about helping people stay healthy instead of trying to save lives in ICU.  I have even pondered a further degree in wellness!! It just seems to me that we are far too indulgent with ourselves here...smoking, drinking, eating...too much is...too much!!  And not enough exercise.  With the resulting horrible effects.  I believe that other countries do better.  I hope our dietary stuff improves here.  I do try and gently educate the folks who are reachable.  

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I am so sorry that blogger does not allow me to comment...to receive comments on my blog to Email.  Have any of you changed to a different blog company?? Would you please share with me what you did?

Julie

Photo heavy!!!

I am growing cilantro for my homemade salsa.  The plants are loving the sun and rain we have received lately.

Peppers!!

Tomatoes!!!

This grandson of mine is in Martial arts and gained another belt!!  Go, go, go!

My granddaughter is playing with her daddy...great fun!

Here is where I am on this quilt.  I made red blocks for April, for rainbow quilts.  It is getting bigger.

This is a quilt I am binding for the quilt guild. I can bind for them, if nothing else!!!

This is another pretty quilt that I am binding for the quilt guild.  I am truly enjoying doing this for our guild!!

I am hand quilting this quilt for my nighttime stitching.  It is hard to do, related to the circular nature of doing it!!  The quilt gets all twisted up...just a small amount of stitching at a time is being accomplished.  

I have been working on using up all my browns.  This is great fun and looks oldtimey to me.  I like it!

I am using my reproduction scraps to make Jewel box blocks.  Easy and fun.

Peas are blossoming!!

This is my latest quilt of valor, and I am getting good help with this.  I of course will wash it before presentation to the veteran.

I am also working on Alice In Wonderland blocks.  In 1930's fabrics!!

A close up of my helper, Lucky.

And these blocks are being made too.  

So there!! I have been a busy lady for sure...how are you doing??

Julie
 

Rainbow quilt progress, and Spring!

Rainbow quilts!!!  I love all the colors of the rainbow. So far this year, we have used yellow, blue and pink. So, this is where I am on my quilt.  

Spring is here, for this determined bulb...it blooms every year.

It was so nice that I went outside and sewed a little while.  A lovely day!!!

Julie
 

Good morning!

Above are some bookmarks I created for friends.  I used a Free Spirit charm pack.  These were fast and fun to make.

I am working on my modern quilt top.  I just finished three more blocks. They are super-fast...and I don't know why this one is lingering, as I do love to work on it.

It is just beyond tulip season here.  I found this one at the Fort Worth Botanical gardens. Our recent weather did not help our spring flowers, but I found plenty to admire there.

Purples for Paula!!  Her favorite color.

I made a few more of these blocks, adding yellow for the month of March.

A few more of these scrappy blocks too!!

I am done with the mystery quilt!!  Hurrah!!

Hope each of you is having a fabulous day!

Julie
 

Mystery quilt and more

Hi to everyone!!!  This is month is the month for using blue scraps, in Rainbow quilts.  I have been using a few of mine.  Great fun!

This quilt came back from Paula, my dear friend.  She does such an amazing job on her longarm!!  I just adore this quilt.  She gave me a hand cut layer cake and challenged me to make something.  So I did!

These blocks were on the quilt guild table, freely given.  18 of these...I need to make two more.  The kitty above is Bitty Blackie.  This cat was outside, but freezing in our sub 15 temps.  We let him in, and now he is back outside, because it is 80 degrees today!  He is a feral cat.  He is just a purring machine, and loves to cuddle.  I do not know where he came from, but I ensure he is fed and watered and petted regularly.

Aren't these pretty blocks?

My mystery quilt is oh so close to being completed.  Hurrah!

I had some iris buds, but they were frozen last week.  I guess they bloomed a bit too early.  

****************************Nurse's notes***********************

We have some long-term patients in ICU.  One young man in his 30's was pulled over in his car, trying to help a lady change a tire, when he was run over by a big truck.   His leg was destroyed, and he had to have a horrid high amputation.  His kidney and intestines were destroyed...dialysis and colostomy bags.  and yet?  He is a DARLING!!!  Big smiles for me...blowing kisses...hugs too.  He is very, very ill and may not make it from the hospital but just is so nice.  What an inspiring young man. I love taking care of him!!!  Thes folks just touch my heart.  

We lost a few of our regular patients lately...flu and RSV and Covid are rampant. 

Julie

 

Mystery quilt progress

It is pink month at Angela's blog!!!  soscrappy  This is her link.  

I am playing with my pink scraps.  Pink is my favorite color, so I am loving this.  I am not sure about the middle top block, but I know that every block cannot be my favorite, and the goal of this exercise is to use my scrappy pieces up, to benefit someone, somewhere.  My quilt guild makes quilts for JPS, our local county hospital.  

I am making great progress on the Quiltville Mystery quilt!!  Savoring these sewing moments, for sure.

Quiltville's Quips & Snips!!: Old Town Mystery    Better print these clues fast...they will be gone soon, if the past is any guide.

These are a few more scrappy blocks to enjoy.  Made from 3.5 inch strips, x 4.5 inches.  1.5 inch strips form the cross pieces of the blocks.  There are only 8 seams per block, just like a nine patch.  As you all know, I greatly enjoy scrappy blocks!!  My challenge is always the border...my friend Lori at Humble quilts says not all quilts need a border, and of course, she is right.  

There is more pink month sewing going on here.

 I made a tiny basket, too.  SCRAPS RULE!!

Haha!

Hope you all are having a blessed day!!

*******************************Nurse's notes*************************

I am enjoying ICU.  This is not like heart ICU...CVICU. In ICU we get everything.  Brain bleeds, infections of all kinds, sepsis being the very worst, drug overdoses, alcoholics detoxing, even behavioral stuff that needs constant monitoring.  Diabetes gone awry...and some people are just unresponsive for no discernable reason. Brain surgeries.  Spinal surgeries.   It is challenging.  Unlike hearts, which we can mostly fix, these folks are dang sick.  Older population.  Decreased family interaction.  A lot from nursing homes with no prior DNR status.  

The kiddos I work with are young, young, young nurses.  22-26 years old...they play video games in their time off and are into nails and purses and fashion.  Interesting, and fun to watch their interactions and how they bind so tightly to each other and are such fast friends.  I love that!  

The doctors are mostly nice, but they rotate in and out of the intensivist role, and work as employees of the system.    We have lots of nurse practitioners to fill in the gaps 24/7.  These are nervous, high-strung gals for the most part.  30-40 years old.  They function independently, doing many physician functions.  Including placing dialysis and central line catheter, tapping lungs and the like.  Interesting to help them.

It is physically demanding.  On my feet mostly all shift, with short bursts of power charting at the nurse's station.  No coffee or drinks or food allowed at the computers, so we sneak sips when we can not get caught!!!  

ON it goes.  Hearts are my favorites.  Hospice was good, but closed a lot of the time, so here I am in ICU!!!

Julie

Happy New Year, full of plans and promise!!

Good morning!!  Happy Sunday, or Monday to those in Australia and other places in the world!

Above is my Amaryllis.  This is the second stem coming from a big bulb  planted in December.

The first stem bent over, despite tying it up.  boo!!  But I am hopeful is will grow again next year.  Any buln experts care to comment?  Will it grown again?

January reminds me of snowmen.  This is a cute block to work on, part of a Cheri Payne group online from years ago.  I am blanket stitching the pieces down.  So much fun!

This is a random sunset picture from my workplace.  I love to look out the big windows in the empty patient rooms and see this! 

This is the back side of the Amaryllis bloom before it broke.  So pretty!

This sweet potato was from my ornament sweet potato vine.  It is humongous!!  Wonder if it is edible?

This is one of the outside kittens.  This one is bitty.  Maybe a pound now, and I do not know where mom was, or maybe it was dumped here.  He is a purring machine, and thinks I am a good lady for feeding him, telling him how sweet and pretty he is, and cuddling and petting him.

The other feral cat from a previous post has been claimed by a lady down the way now, so I am pleased that he is being taken care of well.

Yes, I bought heated cat houses for the outside baby cats. It is dang cold here today...23 degrees, and they need a snuggly house to get into.

 Last but not least, the mystery quilt!!!  I am making great progress, having all the component clues made.  Hurrah!!!  No new fabric was harmed, or purchased, to make this quilt.  Ha!

Hope each of you is doing great!!  I have so many squirrelish plans for the coming year, and look forward to seeing what you are up to as well.

Julie